Packing cup



l. mick 2,059,728` y Nov; 3, 1936'. A

PACKING CUP FiledI 'May 29. 193s Fig@ 79 Inventor". BURNS DICK;

`.Patented Nov. 3, l1936 Burns Dick, Ferguson, Mo.,

Electric Corporation, St.

ration of Delaware Application May 29, 1933, Serial No. 573,367

10 Claims. (Cl. 309-34) My invention relates to packing cups for pistons and more particularly to improvements in packing cups used in fluid pressure producing systems, as for example, hydraulic braking systems, for preventing the escape of fluid under 'pressure past the piston. l

One of the objects of my invention is to produce a packing cup of iiexible material, the-lip or edge of which will engage inder with a uniform pressure throughout its circumference.

Another object of my invention is to so construct a flexible packing cup that the radial pressure between the lip and the cylinder will be produced by an expansible means carried by the cup and acting at substantially right angles to the wall of the cup.`

Other objects of my invention are to produce a packing cup of flexible material, as for example, rubber, moulded cellulose compound, or light metal, that will be simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and which will operate eiliciently for a long period of time.

Still other objects will become apparent from the following description of three embodiments of my invention takenin connection with the accompanying kdrawing in which Figure l is a view, partly in cross section, of" the fluid parts of a braking system equipped with two forms of cups embodying my invention; 'Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the packing cup in the fluid compressor; Figure. 3 is a cross sectional view of one of the packing cups in the brake actuating motor; Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of a metal packing cup embodying my invention; and Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cup in Figure 4 showing .its relation to the cylinder wall.

vReferring to the drawing in detail, the numeral I indicates the well known compressor of a hydraulic brake system which is provided with a cylinder 2, a piston 3, and a reservoir t communicating with rear of the piston in its retracted position by the passages 5 and 6. The cylinder of thecompressor is connected to the brake shoe actuating motors 1 by a conduit 8 (one motor only being shown). The motor comprises a cylinder 9 and a pair of pistons I0 adapted to actuate the ends of the brake shoes II. Since the braking system must be as fluid-tight vas possiblathe pistons 3 andl I0 are provided with packing cups .I2 and I3 respectively. l' Y In the brake systemsV now in use, the packing cups are constructed of rubber, an example of the wall of the cyl- -a uniform pressure and the cylinder wall, but

' rection and the cylinder ahead and at the the compressor piston assigner to Wagner Louis, Mo., a corpopacking cup being shown in Figure 4 of Loughead Patent No. 1,847,402 issued March 1,1932, and an exampleof the motor s piston packing cup be 1,711,206 issued April 30, 1929.

pliver Patent No.

ing shown in Figure 1 of These rubber cups rely on the resiliency of the rubber to retain the seal between the lip of the cup and the cylinder wall. This resiliency, however, is. destroyed if the rubber is depreciated by liquid, thereby resulting in an ineiiicient seal, especially when the cups areixli a non-operative position.

overheatingA occurs, or if the use of a poor The compressor cups are also generally held 'against the head of spring I4 bearing on also tends to draw the piston 3 by a retracting its iiat central portion which the lip of the cup inwardly and thus reduce its pressure on the cylinder wall.

Attempts have been springs to expand the have been found to be spring operates in a made in the past' to use lip of the cup and create between the lip of the cup these constructions impracticable because the direct outwardly radial dia very small increase or decrease of the diameter in which they act, causes a, very large increase or decrease in the radial pressure of the'spring, thus producing unsatisfactory sealing results under diffe rent operating conditions.

In accordance with one embodiment of my invention, the rubber packing cup I2 for the compressor is provided at its forward end withv an integral inwardly extending circumferential iiange I5 which forms, cup, a circumferential expansible coil spring with the inner wall ofthe recess or groove I6. An I1 is interposed between .the base of the cup and the groove IB and acts on the'flange I5 in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the cup peripheral wall of thel considerable working substantially uniform and at a distance from the cup. The spring II is of range, thus producing a axial force over a. considerable distance in its path of expansion. The

force produced by the causes the cup to spring upon the ilange I5 be stretched and the lip thereof to be expanded outwardly, as shown by the dotted line of Figure 2.

acting on the flange This suit of the reaction caused by the spring II` at a point spaced fromthe radial expansion is a reline of support of the forward edge of the lip of the cup. The inner wall of the cup is tapered to cause the 'extreme forward edge ofthe cup to have the greatest radial expansion. As the ends of the coiled spring are in contact with the iiange 'such resiliency and dimensions that it has a IB at all points, the outward expansion of the lip of the cup will be uniform, thus producing a uniform pressure between the cup and the cylinder wall. 'I'he large working range of the spring I1 also insures that pressure between the walls of the cup and cylinder will be maintained throughout the wearing life of the cup. i

The inner surface of the base of the cup I2 is made convex and has mounted thereon a convex retainer I8 against which the end of the spring Il abuts. The purpose of this construction is to prevent the rubber in the base of the cup from floating radially outwardly by the action of the spring Il and also to prevent any tension in the inner peripheral wall of the cup which causes the inward4 deflection of the lip of the cup previously referred to.

Referring to Figure 3, I have disclosed my invention applied to a packing cup made from semi-flexible moulded material, as forexample,

-a cellulose compound. The cup I3 is shown as screwed to the head of the piston I Il and the lip portion provided with an inwardly extending `circumferential flange I 9. The intermediate wall of the cup is of less thickness than the base portion` to provide flexibility whereby the lip portion may be expanded outwardly. 'I'he flange I9 is also radially corrugated, as shown, to permit of this expansion. 'I'heexpansible spring 20 is interposed between the head of the piston and the flange I9 as shown.

In assembling the structure, the lip of the cup is normally formed to snugly fit the cylinder and then the spring released after the cup -is placed in the cylinder. The radial expansion caused by the spring, and shown in dotted lines, need not be great under these circumstances in order to create sufficient sealing pressure between the lip and the cylinder wall.

In Figures 4 and 5, I have shown my invention' applied to a cup made from thin, flexible metal, as for example, brass. In this construction the lip 2l of the cup 22, is fla'red. An annular flange ring 23 is soldered or otherwise secured to the inner wall of the cup near the lip. This ange is corrugated, as shown, to permit the lip of the cup to be slightly expanded by the action of the expansible spring 24. A reinforcement is provided in the bottom of the cup upon which the spring seats. The lip of the cup is ground to a circumference to snugly fit the cylinder prior to assembly and release of the spring. The cup is then placed in the cylinder and the spring released, thus producing a pressure between the edge of the lip and the wall in vthe manner shown in Figure 5.

Having fully described my invention, vwhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. I'n fluid pressure apparatus, `.the combinaan 'angle to a plane perpendicular to the cup axis.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a flexible packing cup provided with an inwardly extending part'on its forward edge, and means for forcing the edge of said cup radially outwardly, said means comprising an axially. expansible spring acting in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the cup and having one end engaging said inwardly extending part at a distance from the wall of the cup.

4. A packing cup having a flexible cylindrical wall provided with an inwardly extending circumferential flange at its forward edge, and means forcing the external forward edge of said wall outwardly, said means comprising an expansible coiled spring engaging the base of the and the iiange, the force exerted by said s'pring being in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the cup and acting on the flange at a distance from the wall of the cup.

5. A yieldable packing cup having a base portion and a yieldable cylindrical wall, the forward end of said wall being provided with an integral inwardly extending flange forming a l circumferential groove, and an axially expansible coiled spring having one end engaging the base of the cup and the other end engaging the flange at said groove.

6. packing member having a flexible' wall an inwardly extending circumferential flange at ts orward end, said flange being so formed that its' internal diameter may be slightly increased to thereby permit slight circumferential expansion of the forward end of the packing member, anda coiled expansible spring axially positioned within said cylindrical wall and exerting a force upon the flange in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the cup whereby the forward edge of the wall will be forced radially outwardly.

7. A packing member having a flexible wall and an inwardly extending circumferential flange at its forward end, said ange vbeing provided with radial corrugations which taper into a smooth surface at its juncture with the wall, and a coiled expansible spring 4lying within the cylindrical wall and exerting a force vupon said flange in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the cup and at a distance from the wall.

8. A packing member comprising a cup formed open end, an inwardly extending flange secured to the inner surface .of the open end ofthe cup, and

an expansible spring engaging the bottom of the cup and the flange.

9. In a fluid compressor provided with a cylinder and a piston, a packing cup for the piston provided with an inwardly extending flange' at its its interior, a coiled'spring linterposed between the base of the cup and the flange, and a dished retainer engaging the raised surface of the cup bottom, said retainer being provided with a peripheral groove forming a seat for the end of a coil spring.

10. The combination of a piston and cylinder, a l

packing cup for the piston provided with a convex surface on the bottom of its interior, and a convex annular disc cooperating with the convex cup surface, said disc being provided with a peripheral groove for seating the end of a coil Spring. v

forward end and araised surface on the bottom of o 

